Generated by All in One SEO v4.9.8, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # UXPA International 2026 Conference UXPA International 2026 Conference Site ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://uxpa2026.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Pages - [Home](https://uxpa2026.org/) - Join us in celebrating and learning from the UX community from June 22-25, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada for the UXPA International 2026 Conference. - [Pricing](https://uxpa2026.org/pricing/) - [Speakers](https://uxpa2026.org/our-speakers/) - [Hotel & Travel](https://uxpa2026.org/hotel-travel/) - Book your room at the Caesars Palace for easy access to the UXPA International 2026 Conference in Las Vegas. - [Sponsor](https://uxpa2026.org/sponsor/) - [Program](https://uxpa2026.org/program/) - [Volunteer](https://uxpa2026.org/volunteer/) - Help us create a welcoming and outstanding conference experience by volunteering at UXPA 2026 in Las Vegas! Volunteer applications are now open. - [Call for Proposals](https://uxpa2026.org/call-for-proposals/) - Share your work and expertise in user experience to a global UX audience at UXPA 2026. - [Become a Reviewer](https://uxpa2026.org/call-for-reviewers/) - Help us review UXPA 2026 proposals to create the best conference program yet! Sign up to become a reviewer. - [Privacy Policy](https://uxpa2026.org/privacy-policy/) - [Code of Conduct](https://uxpa2026.org/code-of-conduct/) ## My Templates - [Default Kit](https://uxpa2026.org/?elementor_library=default-kit) ## Sessions - [Networking Event](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/networking-event/) - Get ready for some high-speed networking! Join us for a fun and fast-paced event where you'll be paired up with a variety of professionals for quick, one-on-one conversations. It's the perfect way to meet new people, expand your network, and make meaningful connections in a dynamic and engaging environment. We'll handle the pairings; just bring - [Late Afternoon Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/late-afternoon-break-3/) - Stretch your legs, meet up with new friends, or say hello to the exhibitors. - [Late Afternoon Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/late-afternoon-break-2/) - Stretch your legs, meet up with new friends, or say hello to the exhibitors. - [Mini UXathon](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/mini-uxathon/) - Join us for a mini low-fidelity UX hackathon on our conference app, GroupMe. Learn more about hackathons and receive a chance to win a ticket to our fall virtual one-day AI summit. Rough Schedule Introduction & Problem Setup - 10 minutes Problem Solving - 40 minutes Review - 10 minutes - [Accelerating AI Innovation - The Transformative Power of Research](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/accelerating-ai-innovation-the-transformative-power-of-research/) - UX practitioners are navigating two powerful forces: the rapid rise of AI and the responsibility to design experiences that are transparent, ethical, and human-centered. Embedding research early in the AI lifecycle not only mitigates bias but also sparks innovation that resonates at scale. This session will share practical frameworks for aligning research with AI development, - [Growing UX Communities From the Ground Up - A Practical Guide to Building Connection, Learning, and Influence](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/growing-ux-communities-from-the-ground-up-a-practical-guide-to-building-connection-learning-and-influence/) - Belonging to a community of peers can be one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences in our jobs. In this session, Christina Manikus and Jean Fox will share practical lessons learned from building grassroots UX communities across organizations and professional networks. Through real-world examples, attendees will learn a repeatable framework for bringing people together - [Designing for Trust - Human-Centered Security in the Age of AI](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-for-trust-human-centered-security-in-the-age-of-ai/) - Security isn’t just a technical challenge, it’s a human one. As designers, we shape how people experience trust, consent, and safety in digital spaces. This session explores how UX can make security empowering instead of obstructive, turning protective measures into intuitive design moments. Drawing from Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative and lessons learned from designing agentic - [Diversity Design - Beyond Inclusive Design & Universal Design](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/diversity-design-beyond-inclusive-design-universal-design/) - Diversity Design examines how experiences can be created beyond disability-focused accessibility by comparing Universal Design, Inclusive Design, and a broader approach that considers age, gender, literacy, culture, and socio-economic needs. - [Afternoon Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/afternoon-break-2/) - Enjoy refreshments between sessions. - [Designing Futures Users Want – Quality Criteria for Future Scenarios From a Strategist’s Perspective](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-futures-users-want-quality-criteria-for-future-scenarios-from-a-strategists-perspective/) - Future scenarios are widely used to guide strategic decisions, yet their quality is often defined by academic standards rather than user needs. This study explores what decision-makers actually value in scenarios and what makes them “good.” A literature review identified 25 quality characteristics from 18 sources, later refined to 15 through expert interviews and analyzed - [Designing for the Dark Site – Building Clarity and Confidence in Secure, Disconnected Environments](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-for-the-dark-site-building-clarity-and-confidence-in-secure-disconnected-environments/) - Designing for highly secure, disconnected environments presents unique challenges that push UX beyond traditional paradigms. In most enterprise systems, digital experiences depend on real-time data and continuous cloud communication. Yet in “dark site” conditions — where network access is restricted or completely offline — users must complete critical workflows without live validation or support. This - [Stepping Into the Field – A Practical Guide to Starting In-Person UX Research](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/stepping-into-the-field-a-practical-guide-to-starting-in-person-ux-research/) - Curious about running in-person UX research, but not sure where to start? This poster shares practical guidance gathered from UX researchers across the USA, Europe, and Asia, working in big tech to independent consulting. Discover how face-to-face methods uncover nonverbal cues, hidden needs, and real-world behaviour that AI tools often miss. Learn tips on planning - [In Search for Meaningful User Experiences in Public Relations – Assessing Commercial Generative AI Agents for Stakeholder Relations](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/in-search-for-meaningful-user-experiences-in-public-relations-assessing-commercial-generative-ai-agents-for-stakeholder-relations/) - With the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI), industries like user experience (UX) and public relations (PR) have seemingly changed forever, and despite AI’s integration into communication (e.g., chatbots, content creation), there is little empirical research on its impact at the intersection of AI, UX, and PR. This study explores the potential of AI agents for - [AI-Driven User Journey Mapping – Analysing Clickstreams to Optimise UX](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ai-driven-user-journey-mapping-analysing-clickstreams-to-optimise-ux/) - Traditional e-commerce recommendation systems focus on predicting items to buy, often overlooking the evolving intent of users during a session. This work introduces a hybrid intelligence framework that predicts user intent (browsing, comparing, buying, or abandoning) directly from clickstream data and leverages these predictions to generate adaptive UX behaviors. The framework integrates a dual-task sequential - [The Art of Prompting – What a 16th-Century Rhino Teaches Us About AI and UX](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/the-art-of-prompting-what-a-16th-century-rhino-teaches-us-about-ai-and-ux/) - Inspired by a 16th-century artist who imagined a rhinoceros he had never seen, this session explores how designers today translate words into meaning through artificial intelligence. That same ingenuity is alive and well in the ways designers use language to steer artificial intelligence. This session introduces the Prompt-Driven Life Cycle (PDLC), a framework for designers - [8 Skills to Become an Effective UX Leader](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/8-skills-to-become-an-effective-ux-leader/) - UX Leadership is about bringing people together to achieve a shared vision. It’s about balancing creativity with practicality, ensuring innovation while delivering measurable impact. This session explores eight essential skills that every aspiring or current UX leader must cultivate. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Define the eight core - [Designing Across Banks – A Cross-Institution UX Network and a “Philosophy-in-Practice” Program to Strengthen Human Agency in Design](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-across-banks-a-cross-institution-ux-network-and-a-philosophy-in-practice-program-to-strengthen-human-agency-in-design/) - Regulated industries silo designers. We report a cross-bank UX network in Japan that convenes practitioners under compliance-safe norms (e.g., Chatham House Rule, no competitive intel). In discovery sessions, designers highlighted: constrained career paths, tool-centric drift, uneven AI ethics, and difficulty articulating human value to business. We piloted three tracks: (1) Career & Craft Clinics; (2) - [Exploring Design Opportunities for Alzheimer’s Self-Management Support](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/exploring-design-opportunities-for-alzheimers-self-management-support/) - This poster presents a research-informed design exploration of self-management support for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Drawing on desk research and a review of existing tools, the project highlights unmet needs, design challenges, and opportunities for creating supportive technologies that better accommodate cognitive changes, daily routines, and care partner involvement. - [Designing Human-AI Collaboration in Enterprise UX](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-human-ai-collaboration-in-enterprise-ux/) - This poster introduces a practical, five-layer framework for designing Human-AI collaboration in enterprise environments. As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in enterprise SaaS platforms, the nature of UX work is expanding from human-system interaction to human-AI partnership. This shift demands new design methods that ensure human judgment is privileged over the capabilities of intelligent systems. Drawing - [A User-Centered Approach to Technology Adoption Research in STEM](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/a-user-centered-approach-to-technology-adoption-research-in-stem/) - This poster presents a user-centered approach to understanding how faculty and students adopt emerging technologies in STEM education. Rather than treating them only as end-users, the study positions faculty and students as co-creators whose lived experiences provide critical insights for technology design. Grounded in a conceptual framework that integrates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion - [Poster Session](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/poster-session/) - Join this informal, visual, and interactive session and explore the posters at UXPA International 2026. During this session, attendees will be able to move from poster to poster and engage with each speaker to hear more about the speakers' work and ideas. This session consists of posters on a variety of topics including career development, - [When Everything Is Urgent - Leading UX Teams Without Burning Out](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/when-everything-is-urgent-leading-ux-teams-without-burning-out/) - UX and product leaders often operate in a constant state of urgency with shifting priorities, compressed timelines, and teams looking to them for clarity and steadiness. In these conditions, burnout becomes a leadership risk. This session introduces two actionable frameworks designed to help leaders respond under pressure without burning themselves out. One offers a short-term, - [Morning Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/morning-break-2/) - Enjoy refreshments between sessions. - [Afternoon Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/afternoon-break-3/) - Enjoy refreshments between sessions. - [Morning Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/morning-break-3/) - Enjoy refreshments between sessions. - [Afternoon Break](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/afternoon-break-4/) - Enjoy refreshments between sessions. - [Lightning Talks](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/lightning-talks-2/) - Join this fast-paced, high-energy session designed to spark ideas and inspire conversation at UXPA International 2026. Each speaker in this session has just 10 minutes to share a big idea, showcase a project, or highlight a unique perspective. This session consists of four lightning talks and covers a variety of topics including career development, emerging - [Bringing AI Augmented Research to Life - The Human Equation](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/bringing-ai-augmented-research-to-life-the-human-equation/) - AI is changing how we do UX research at superhuman speed and scale while stealthily corroding something undeniably human. In a session aimed at UX leaders, well explore how to restore empathy and authenticity into processes increasingly driven by AI. Like a Pinocchio on his way to becoming real, well explore how AI-generated personas and - [What (Not) to Measure](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/what-not-to-measure/) - With the advent of AI in the UX world, UXers are frequently under pressure to show that UX is providing measurable value. All too often, stakeholders focus on the wrong metrics – for instance, looking at raw user numbers rather than how experiences can improve user happiness and lead to better outcomes. Focus on the - [UX From the Ground Up - A Roadmap From Gaps to Growth](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ux-from-the-ground-up-a-roadmap-from-gaps-to-growth/) - How do you grow a UX practice in an environment where design is often misunderstood or undervalued? This session shares the story of how a UX team was built from scratch inside a deeply technical IT organization, starting from just one individual with a vision. Attendees will learn how a simple gap analysis turned into - [Doing UX Alone - The Hidden Challenges and Advantages of Being a Solo Practitioner](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/doing-ux-alone-the-hidden-challenges-and-advantages-of-being-a-solo-practitioner/) - Many UX professionals work without the support of large research or design teams. They are the sole UX researcher, lone designer, fractional consultant, internal advocate, or independent practitioner responsible for everything from stakeholder alignment and user research to strategy, facilitation, and delivery. While discussions about UX often focus on mature organizations with established teams, the - [From Worker Bees to Strategic Partners - Closing the Gap Between UX and Leadership](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/from-worker-bees-to-strategic-partners-closing-the-gap-between-ux-and-leadership/) - UX teams are often expected to drive business impact while operating far from the conversations where strategy is defined. The result? Misalignment, duplicated work, operational inefficiencies, and talented researchers who feel disconnected from the decisions they're meant to inform. In this fireside chat, longtime UX leaders Adrienne Guillory and Li Wen Huang explore what it - [Getting Out of Our Own Way - Building Confidence and Navigating Anxiety in Inclusive UX Research](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/getting-out-of-our-own-way-building-confidence-and-navigating-anxiety-in-inclusive-ux-research/) - The desire to do inclusive research right can create an anxiety of getting it wrong. This isn't just a feeling; it has real costs. Researchers might avoid studies with marginalized users, or unintentionally make our anxiety the focus of the session. When that happens, participants are sidelined, and our insights suffer. This session is a - [Rethinking Simplicity - Accessibility as a Catalyst for Better Experiences](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/rethinking-simplicity-accessibility-as-a-catalyst-for-better-experiences/) - This talk offers both a reflective and practice-based examination of how accessibility can evolve from a compliance requirement into a catalyst for creativity. It traces my personal journey from limited awareness to actively guiding cross-functional design teams in accessibility reviews and aligning with evolving international standards. This transformation demonstrates how accessibility reshapes my perception of - [Navigating the Current UX Job Market - Strategies for Success and Good Mental Health](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/navigating-the-current-ux-job-market-strategies-for-success-and-good-mental-health/) - Recent economic and technology trends have created a perfect storm for UX professionals and a very challenging job market. This presentation will provide an overview from personal experience on how to best navigate the current UX job market including how best to search for UX jobs, prepare your UX portfolio, interview and prepare, market yourself - [AI Lightning Talks](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ai-lightning-talks/) - Join this fast-paced, high-energy session designed to spark ideas and inspire conversation at UXPA International 2026. Each speaker in this session has just 10 minutes to share a big idea, showcase a project, or highlight a unique perspective. This session consists of three lightning talks and is all about AI. AI Lightning Talk Presented by - [Closing Reception](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/closing-reception/) - Celebrate with us as we bring UXPA International 2026 to a close. - [Closing Keynote - Denise Miqueli](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/closing-keynote/) - Assumptions are challenged as we take a deeper look at how technology, research, and human insight intersect to create meaningful impact. Drawing from real-world product and UX experience, this session explores how listening — both to the people we design for and to ourselves — reveals the work that truly matters. It concludes with an - [Trust by Design - A Framework for Human-AI Interaction Patterns in the New Era](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/trust-by-design-a-framework-for-human-ai-interaction-patterns-in-the-new-era/) - A design paradox plagues AI products i.e. we obsess over improving model accuracy while underinvesting in how humans and AI interact to make meaningful decisions. Yet these interaction patterns may be our most consequential design choice, as fewer modality choices can limit human-AI collaboration and leave users uncertain about their role, AI’s capabilities, and where - [A Practical Mixed Methods Framework for Longitudinal Research](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/a-practical-mixed-methods-framework-for-longitudinal-research/) - This framework provides a repeatable, three-phase mixed-methods blueprint for quantifying the user journey across a product area. By integrating expert heuristic evaluations with large-scale, unmoderated research, the framework moves beyond point-in-time usability snapshots to track the evolution of user expectations and friction over time. Attendees will learn how to execute a multi-part study, transitioning from - [AI as a Research Partner - Making UX Research Faster, Smarter, and More Impactful](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ai-as-a-research-partner-making-ux-research-faster-smarter-and-more-impactful/) - AI tools are rapidly changing how UX research is planned, conducted, and shared. From recruitment and transcription to thematic analysis, insight generation, and stakeholder communication, researchers are experimenting with new workflows that promise greater speed and scale. But alongside these opportunities come important questions about rigor, bias, ethics, trust, and the evolving role of human - [Usability Testing Differences (and Similarities) Across Organizations](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/usability-testing-differences-and-similarities-across-organizations/) - Usability testing is one of the most common methods that User Experience (UX) Researchers employ to improve their organization’s products and services. Researchers develop specific protocols for the usability tests based on best practices, their own experiences, and the culture and needs of their organization. However, there are few opportunities to share our methods and - [The Future Value of UX - Rethinking Salaries, Roles, and Career Growth in a Changing Industry](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/the-future-value-of-ux-rethinking-salaries-roles-and-career-growth-in-a-changing-industry/) - Over the past fifteen years, UX has transformed from a niche specialty into a mainstream business function, and recently into a profession facing intense disruption. Salaries surged during the tech boom years, roles became increasingly specialized, and organizations invested heavily in research, design systems, and product experience. Today, many UX professionals are navigating layoffs, hiring - [Adapting Cognitive Accessibility Guidelines From Web to Mobile in Care Experiences](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/adapting-cognitive-accessibility-guidelines-from-web-to-mobile-in-care-experiences/) - Cognitive accessibility remains one of the least implemented pillars of inclusive design. While most teams check for visual or auditory accessibility, few evaluate whether users with cognitive challenges can complete tasks in mobile apps, especially in high-stress caregiving contexts. This session introduces a structured, field-tested method to adapt the W3C Cognitive Accessibility (COGA) guidelines for - [Sponsored Session:
From Research Team to Learning System - How Research Evolves in the Age of AI](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/from-research-team-to-learning-system-how-research-evolves-in-the-age-of-ai/) - As AI accelerates execution speed, decision quality becomes the new limiting factor for modern organizations, making research more critical than ever. This session, led by Noel Gee from Maze, explores the necessary evolution of research in AI-native organizations: from a centralized service into the core system enabling continuous, organization-wide learning. Noel will share perspectives on - [You Can't Lie in the Form of a Question - Using AI as an Expert Misinterpreter to Strengthen UX Research Protocols](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/you-cant-lie-in-the-form-of-a-question-using-ai-as-an-expert-misinterpreter-to-strengthen-ux-research-protocols/) - This session demonstrates how UX researchers can use AI as an “expert misinterpreter” to refine interview protocols, usability testing scripts, and survey questions. By applying prompt engineering through the lens of UX heuristics, participants will learn to identify hidden ambiguities, challenge assumptions, and improve the clarity and reliability of their research instruments. The session covers - [Building an Enterprise Accessibility Program That Scales - Strategy, Governance, and Culture](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/building-an-enterprise-accessibility-program-that-scales-strategy-governance-and-culture/) - Accessibility programs often start with passion, but to succeed, they must scale through structure. This session shows how to build an enterprise accessibility program that moves beyond audits and checklists to become a sustainable part of product strategy and organizational culture. Drawing from real implementation experience, we’ll unpack how to establish governance, define accountability, and - [Designing Leadership - Evolving From UX Practitioner to Manager to Leader](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-leadership-evolving-from-ux-practitioner-to-manager-to-leader/) - At some point in a UX career, craft excellence stops being the differentiator. What got you promoted won't get you to the next level. Moving from senior individual contributor to manager to leader requires a fundamental mindset shift - from designing interfaces to designing environments where people, teams, and strategy thrive. In this talk, I - [Shaping the Future of UX Research](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/shaping-the-future-of-ux-research/) - User research is entering a defining era. Since 2020, the pace of change, new technologies, and growing business pressures have reshaped expectations for the field. Researchers are now being asked to demonstrate measurable value, turn insights into action, and influence strategy at every level of their organizations. This panel brings together industry leaders who are - [More Than Just Pixels - When Bad Design in Healthcare Becomes a Matter of Life and Death](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/more-than-just-pixels-when-bad-design-in-healthcare-becomes-a-matter-of-life-and-death/) - This session explores how poor design choices in healthcare systems can lead to serious — even life-threatening — consequences, and how applying user experience (UX) principles can prevent them. Attendees will learn to identify common usability issues such as cluttered interfaces, confusing navigation, and poor visual hierarchy, all of which can cause errors and delays - [Opening Keynote - Trevor Calabro](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/opening-keynote/) - We explore a powerful hypothesis: the biggest barriers holding UX professionals back are often not politics, budgets, or organizational constraints — but the quiet beliefs we carry about what it means to be good at our jobs. Through real-world examples and practical reframes, this talk invites UXers to recognize the mental models shaping their work - [Lunch](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/lunch-4/) - Enjoy lunch with your fellow attendees and this year’s speakers. - [Lunch](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/lunch-2/) - Enjoy lunch with your fellow attendees and this year's speakers. - [Lunch](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/lunch-3/) - Enjoy lunch with your fellow attendees and this year's speakers. - [Breakfast](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/breakfast-2/) - Enjoy breakfast with your fellow attendees and this year's speakers. - [Breakfast](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/breakfast-3/) - Enjoy breakfast with your fellow attendees and this year's speakers. - [Breakfast](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/breakfast-4/) - Enjoy breakfast with your fellow attendees and this year's speakers. - [UX Strategy Workshop](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ux-strategy/) - Great UX doesn't just happen. It's the result of a well-defined UX Strategy – a roadmap that works. In this workshop you will learn the four layers of UX Strategy and how to use each to power your UX work. This workshop is hands on, with lots of examples, exercises, templates, and fun activities to - [Data Visualization in the Age of AI - Psychology, Dashboards, and Decision-Making](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/data-visualization-in-the-age-of-ai-psychology-dashboards-and-decision-making/) - AI can generate dashboards in seconds, but that’s not how effective visualizations are made. This interactive workshop shows how UX professionals can leverage AI where it truly helps (data cleanup and preparation) while relying on design psychology for clarity and insight. Participants will explore how to clean and transform messy datasets with AI tools, then - [Designing Multi-Agent AI Systems - A Practical Workshop](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-multi-agent-ai-systems-a-practical-workshop/) - AI agents are different. They don't follow predictable paths, they act autonomously, and they fail in ways traditional software doesn't. Most UX designers are still using familiar patterns for unfamiliar problems. This workshop focuses on the hardest part: designing interfaces when you can't control what happens next. Through a collaborative exercise, you'll design a multi-agent - [The Psychology of AI User Experiences - Design AI Features People Trust, Adopt, and Value](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/the-psychology-of-ai-user-experiences-design-ai-features-people-trust-adopt-and-value/) - Every app, feature, or workflow you touch will soon (or already does) include AI. But what separates AI that delights from AI that feels creepy or irrelevant? Behavioral science reveals when, how, and for whom AI truly enhances value. In this interactive course, we’ll explore the behavioral insights behind user trust, mental models, emotion, and - [Designing the Spectrum of Intelligence - From Chat to Contextual, Agentic, and Ambient AI](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-the-spectrum-of-intelligence-from-chat-to-contextual-agentic-and-ambient-ai/) - The next era of AI UX isn’t about conversation, it’s about context. As AI moves beyond chatbots into assistants, copilots, and invisible orchestrators, designers must rethink how intelligence manifests across products. This talk explores the full spectrum of AI experiences. From Assistive (chat-based guidance) to Agentic (task execution), Hybrid (collaborative systems), and Ambient (always-on intelligence). - [Opening Reception](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/opening-reception/) - Join us for cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres while getting to know your fellow attendees at the UXPA International 2026 Opening Reception! - [Digital Inclusion Beyond Compliance - The Lived Digital Experience of Blind & Low Vision Users](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/digital-inclusion-beyond-compliance-the-lived-digital-experience-of-blind-low-vision-users/) - This case study will delve into what is top of mind for people with blindness or low vision in terms of their current digital experience. This research aimed to identify existing barriers, understand the experience of users, and provide actionable insights to foster a more inclusive and compliant digital experience. By exploring people’s lived experiences, - [The Problems You Will Face as a UX Leader and How to Overcome Them](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/the-problems-you-will-face-as-a-ux-leader-and-how-to-overcome-them/) - In this talk we discuss the biggest problems that most UX Leaders will face. A UX Leader can be anyone from the manager of a UX team, all the way to a UXer who simply is advocating for UX in a room full of non-UXers at their organization. Problems include: - Most companies don’t care - [Redefining UX Design With AI - How AI Is Transforming the Design Process](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/redefining-ux-design-with-ai-how-ai-is-transforming-the-design-process/) - We hear all of the time now that AI is coming for our jobs. We think AI will merely change how we work. Come learn about the currently available AI tools for design - what works well and what doesn’t – yet! As experienced designers who use AI in our design work everyday, we will - [Teaching the Way They Learn - Designing AI Allies for Dyslexic Learners](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/teaching-the-way-they-learn-designing-ai-allies-for-dyslexic-learners/) - For students with dyslexia, most digital reading tools still assume a “standard” learner. Structured literacy approaches such as Orton Gillingham prove that progress depends on multisensory, individualized instruction. Yet those same principles rarely shape how AI systems are designed. This session explores how UX professionals can build AI that adapts to the learner rather than - [Hands-On With AI Prototyping - Faster Paths to Better Feedback](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/hands-on-with-ai-prototyping-faster-paths-to-better-feedback/) - Product development teams often struggle with lengthy iteration cycles. It can take weeks to align stakeholders, validate ideas, and collect user feedback. This session will show how AI-powered prototyping tools can shorten that cycle, enabling teams to explore, test, and refine concepts in days instead of weeks to months. Attendees will learn practical methods for - [From Awkward to Insightful - Building Confidence as a UX Moderator](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/from-awkward-to-insightful-building-confidence-as-a-ux-moderator/) - Moderation can be awkward! Participants go silent, ramble off-topic, or tech glitches erase recordings. This session equips UX researchers, content writers, and designers with practical techniques to navigate these challenges and lead sessions that deliver actionable, unbiased insights. Attendees will learn how to choose between moderated and unmoderated approaches, write clear research questions, adapt moderation - [UX Portfolios - Do's, Don'ts, and Definites](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ux-portfolios-dos-donts-and-definites/) - Job hunting is exhausting, and building a "perfect" online presence can be a challenge, especially if you can't code, lack visual design work, or are locked behind NDAs. This session will help provide ideas to build a solid resume, LinkedIn profile and a portfolio suitable to showcase who you are and what you are capable - [Who’s the User Now? Designing in the Age of AI Agents](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/whos-the-user-now-designing-in-the-age-of-ai-agents/) - AI agents don't just respond. They remember context, reason across multiple steps, and act toward goals. This changes what we're designing and who we're designing for. This session explores how agents challenge traditional UX frameworks and what that means for designers. You'll learn the Agentic Design Framework, a practical approach for designing systems where both - [Turning Complexity Into Clarity - UX Strategies for Scientific and Data-Intensive Domains](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/turning-complexity-into-clarity-ux-strategies-for-scientific-and-data-intensive-domains/) - Designing for data-intensive and scientifically complex products means translating uncertainty into clarity: the process of making information usable, understandable, and trustworthy even when the underlying science or technology behind it is constantly changing. This session explores how UX practitioners can design for evolving domains like biotechnology, healthcare, and AI, where user needs are often unclear - [How LLMs Work - A Primer for UX Professionals](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/how-llms-work-a-primer-for-ux-professionals/) - The UX field has been doubly impacted by AI: we are challenged to design for AI systems, and we also encounter AI integrated into all the tools we use — whether we want it there or not. Understanding how AI really works is therefore twice as important for us. This will be a highly accessible - [AI for IA - What Do You Need to Know?](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ai-for-ia-what-do-you-need-to-know/) - Are you under pressure to use AI in your IA work? If so, we’ll make it easier to decide how and when to do that. We’ll answer questions such as: - How well can AI do IA tasks like card sorting or labeling? - Can AI find problems in tree testing better than human testers? - [Be Your Agent! - Building a Full-Stack UX Agent That Researches, Designs, and Validates With Your Own Methods and Tools](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/be-your-agent-building-a-full-stack-ux-agent-that-researches-designs-and-validates-with-your-own-methods-and-tools/) - Most AI-in-UX talks focus on isolated tasks, faster wireframes, automated research summaries, or testing shortcuts, but UX is an ecosystem, not a checklist. This session introduces a full-stack approach to agentic AI, showing how a single UX Agent can connect research, design, and validation through a personalized knowledge base built with the Model Context Protocol - [Evaluating GenAI in User Experience Design - Comparing Human, GenAI, and Human + GenAI Design Approaches](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/evaluating-genai-in-user-experience-design-comparing-human-genai-and-human-genai-design-approaches/) - While Generative AI (GenAI) tools can potentially support UX designers, their usability and user experience have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study compared the performance of AI-generated UX designs to designs created by human designers, with and without AI enhancement in an unmoderated remote usability test. One design was AI-only, one was AI-generated and then - [Designing to Influence, Not to Engage - User Experience in the Era of AI](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/designing-to-influence-not-to-engage-user-experience-in-the-era-of-ai/) - In a world where algorithms monitor and predict our every move, engagement is an insufficient measure of success. This session invites early career Designers, UX professionals, and Product Thinkers to re-wire and expand their design thinking, drawing on cognitive psychology from the perspective of Information systems. Using powerful examples from Netflix, Spotify, and AI chat - [Soul Searching - A Case for Analog UX Thinking in the Age of AI](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/soul-searching-a-case-for-analog-ux-thinking-in-the-age-of-ai/) - Our work is moving faster than ever before, and it’s easy to mistake activity for achievement. New technologies are reshaping the way we design and deliver digital experiences. UX professionals are at a crossroads. What's our role? This talk makes the case for slow, deliberate, sensible UX strategy in an increasingly automated world. Drawing on - [UX Beyond the Screen - Applying Digital UX Principles to Physical Environments at Scale](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/ux-beyond-the-screen-applying-digital-ux-principles-to-physical-environments-at-scale/) - How do people find their way when there is no screen, no interface, and no back button? UX practitioners are deeply familiar with designing flows, reducing cognitive load, and helping users make confident decisions in digital and mobile products. Those same challenges exist, often under far greater pressure, in large physical environments like stadiums, convention - [Hiring Smarter - Finding Real UX Talent in the Age of AI Resumes](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/hiring-smarter-finding-real-ux-talent-in-the-age-of-ai-resumes/) - AI resumes. Crowded inboxes. Sky-high expectations. Finding the right UX and creative talent is tougher than ever. In this fast-moving session, backed by national data and industry insights, we’ll show you how to cut through the noise, run better interviews, and make confident, quality hires. Walk away with practical tips to spot real talent, avoid - [How We Make Our Work Impossible to Ignore - Visibility Systems for Research Teams](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/how-we-make-our-work-impossible-to-ignore-visibility-systems-for-research-teams/) - Your research matters — but does your organization see its impact? In this talk, you’ll learn how a small UX research team turned visibility into a strategic advantage. Through a set of systemic improvements, we’ve built a feedback loop that connects findings to decisions and celebrates outcomes. The result: better team alignment, stronger advocacy from - [The Invisible Work of UX](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/the-invisible-work-of-ux/) - In most organizations, the work that gets celebrated is what can be shipped, demoed, or tracked on a dashboard. Yet the true power of UX often comes from invisible contributions: reframing problems so teams solve the right thing, bridging silos, stitching together incomplete systems, and shaping culture through listening and sensemaking. These acts rarely appear - [Conversation on What Leaders Can Learn From a Child Asking, “Are We There Yet?”](https://uxpa2026.org/sessions/conversation-on-what-leaders-can-learn-from-a-child-asking-are-we-there-yet/) - “Are we there yet?” Every parent has heard this question on a long drive. While it may sound impatient, it’s actually pure curiosity — a genuine desire to understand and make sense of the world. As professionals, we often lose that curiosity. Questions shift from learning to confirming what we already know, leading to stalled ## Speakers - [Vickie Nguyen](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/vickie-nguyen/) - [Leo Hoar](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/leo-hoar/) - Leo is the founder of the UXR Institute, a community of research leaders who teach advanced UX research courses. After a career as an academic and administrator, he did research for a variety of early-stage startups, then held roles as manager and principal UX researcher. He’s also the host of Tiny Research Wins, a podcast - [Christina Manikus](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/christina-manikus/) - Christina Manikus is a UX researcher, community builder, and advocate for inclusive design. With experience spanning government, nonprofit, healthcare, and enterprise environments, she helps organizations make better decisions through human-centered research. She currently serves as President and Director of Chapters for UXPA International, supporting UX communities around the world. - [Adrienne Guillory](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/adrienne-guillory/) - Adrienne Guillory is President of Usability Sciences (USC), one of the longest-standing user experience research firms in the world. A passionate advocate for the UX community, she has spent much of her career creating opportunities for professionals to learn, connect, and grow through organizations such as UXPA International, Dallas Black UX, and the UNTANGLED podcast. - [Xiao Yu](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/xiao-yu/) - Xiao Yu is a first-year Ph.D. student in Human Factors and Applied Cognition in the Department of Psychology at North Carolina State University. Her current research focuses on driver engagement in Level 2 automated vehicles. She received her Master’s degree in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, where she conducted desk research - [Koichiro Doi](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/koichiro-doi/) - Professional Experience 2020–present Joint General Manager, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group 2017–2018 President & Representative Director, ReMark Japan 2015–2017 Department Manager, Digital UX Planning, AXA General Insurance (AXA Direct Japan) 2008–2015 Division Manager/Web Manager, Systems Division, Aflac Insurance Service. Team Lead, Direct Banking, Shinsei Bank 1993–2008 Assistant Manager, NEC Design & Promotion Education MBA, Aoyama Business - [Matt Karakilic](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/matt-karakilic/) - Matt Karakilic is a design leader and systems architect with 18 years of experience building products and organizations where intelligence — human or artificial — scales through clarity. Known for turning complexity into coherent systems, he has led high-impact work across e-commerce, enterprise software, design systems, and emerging agentic AI workflows at Fortune 500 companies - [Joe Lalley](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/joe-lalley/) - Joe Lalley is a writer, speaker, and workshop facilitator specializing in innovation and design thinking. They have led workshops for organizations of all sizes across industries and published articles on topics such as curiosity in remote work and improving inefficient meetings. They completed an intensive design-thinking program at Stanford’s d.school, collaborating with peers from major - [Theodore (Ted) Stark](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/ted-stark/) - Ted is the Director of Research and serves as the Head of UX Research for Deloitte Digital’s Design-led Product and Engineering practice. With nearly 20 years of experience, he specializes in conducting research, developing research strategies, and managing research teams. He regularly oversees projects, ensuring a balance between methodological rigor and practical application in addressing - [Li Wen Huang](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/li-wen-huang/) - Li Wen Huang has 19 years of experience managing UX research at Discover Financial Services. She developed the UX research practice and team from the ground up, from convincing leadership to start conducting UX research, developing her own expertise in UX, creating research processes and procedures, communicating insights, and expanding capabilities to then evolving the vision of - [Christina Vandenoever](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/christina-vandenoever/) - Christina is a UX Researcher at Purdue IT, where she drives user-centered thinking to improve the systems, services, and experiences that shape daily life for students, staff, and faculty across the university. With a B.S. in UX Design from Purdue University, she brings curiosity, creativity, and a passion for meaningful conversations at each stage of - [Gladys González Quesada](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/gladys-gonzalez-quesada/) - Gladys González is a UX and product design professional with over 25 years of experience in the software development industry with a focus in healthcare. She holds a degree in Computer Engineering and will graduate with a Master of Science in User Experience Design from Kent State University in December 2025. Gladys combines her technical - [Mary Gansallo](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/mary-gansallo/) - Mary Gansallo is a Senior Product Designer at Microsoft, shaping secure, human-centered experiences across AI and cloud ecosystems. She leads design initiatives within the Security UX organization, translating complex frameworks into intuitive, trust-driven solutions. Her work on Microsoft’s Secure Foundations Initiative bridges security and usability, empowering teams to build with safety and empathy. Mary also - [Jeff Sauro](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jeff-sauro/) - Jeff Sauro, PhD, is the founder and CEO of MeasuringU, a leading UX research and software company with over 20 years helping clients measure their user experience. Jeff has published over twenty-five peer-reviewed research articles and seven books, including Surveying the User Experience, Benchmarking the User Experience, Customer Analytics for Dummies, and Quantifying the User - [Linda Borghesani](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/linda-borghesani/) - Linda Borghesani is a seasoned User Experience Researcher with over 30 years of experience and a passion for understanding how people interact with digital products. With extensive experience in both mobile and desktop user interfaces, she specializes in uncovering user insights that drive design, marketing, and product strategies. She advocates for user needs and bridges - [Gina Montgomery](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/gina-montgomery/) - Gina Montgomery is the Global Lead for Microsoft Copilot and Agents at Kyndryl, where she leads the strategy, design, and scale of AI-powered workplace transformation. Her work focuses on shaping Copilot and agent-based systems as the user experience layer for AI, while also designing cross-platform solutions that integrate models such as Google Gemini and other - [Noel Gee](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/noel-gee/) - Noel Gee is the Head of Research Partner Program at Maze, the leading user research platform trusted by teams across the globe. She leads a team that empowers organizations to conduct research with confidence and translate insights into meaningful business outcomes. With 10+ years of experience in UX research and strategy, she's passionate about democratizing - [Shrut Kirti Saksena](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/shrut-kirti-saksena/) - Shrut Kirti is a Staff Experience Researcher at Adobe, leading research for the marketing agent ecosystem and exploring the next evolution of AI-powered marketing tools. With nearly a decade of experience in academic and product research, she specializes in simplifying complex systems, shaping strategy, and driving alignment across global teams. Previously, she built and led - [Jack Holmes](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jack-holmes/) - Jack Holmes is an independent product and service designer with a background in research. He has consulted for some of the world’s biggest brands and the smallest startups trying to disrupt billion-pound industries. Jack supports organisations worldwide to understand people and develop better products and services. His design and research work have earned multiple awards; - [Jennifer Romano](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jennifer-romano/) - Jen Romano is an award-winning UX Leader, with 15+ years experience: in industry, academia and government; as manager, director, and individual contributor; strategist and executor. Jen has led teams and projects at Google, Facebook, Instagram, speaking, teaching and being a keynote speaker at top UX conferences in the world (e.g., UXPA, WUC, HCII). She is - [Sidharath Chhatani](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/sidharath-chhatani/) - Sidharath Chhatani is a Senior Product Designer building AI-powered systems for education and enterprise. At ParentSquare, he designs agent features that help teachers communicate with K-12 school communities. Previously at TechnologyAdvice, he led design for an AI-driven platform that reduced account lookup from 48 hours to 20 minutes. At Mark43, he redesigned Computer-Aided Dispatch interfaces - [Sarah
Thompson](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/sarah-thompson/) - Sarah Thompson is a behavioral scientist and Senior Experience Specialist at Nielsen Norman Group. With a background in clinical psychology and a Master’s in Cognitive Semiotics, Sarah has deep expertise in how people think, feel, and make decisions. She applies these insights to real-world design challenges across healthcare, sustainability, financial wellbeing, education, and tech. Her - [Thomas Watkins](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/thomas-watkins/) - Thomas Watkins is the founder of 3Leaf, a UX consultancy, and host of The Design Psychologist podcast. Based in Houston, TX, he is a thought leader and industry practitioner who helps product teams harness the power of design psychology to drive business success. Thomas is especially focused on empowering design professionals to lean into their - [Guthrie Weinschenk](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/guthrie-weinschenk/) - Guthrie has his J.D. from the Loyola University School of Law in Chicago, and dual B.S. degrees in Economics and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He consults, teaches, and specializes in UX/CX strategy, behavioral economics, and ethics. As the Chief Operations Officer and Behavioral Economist at The Team W, he is in - [Belinda McCall](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/belinda-mccall/) - Belinda McCall is a Product / UX Design leader and Certified Holistic Nutritionist with over a decade of experience designing digital products in health, wellness, and beyond. She is recognized for her empathetic, people-first approach and for creating frameworks that help teams navigate crisis without burning out. Blending strategy, wellbeing, and design leadership, Belinda brings - [Danielle Giffort](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/danielle-giffort/) - Danielle is a sociologist-turned-UX researcher who helps teams see the bigger picture: the systems, assumptions, and power dynamics shaping design decisions. She's worked across tech, fintech, government, and medical, both as a consultant and in-house researcher, and brings a mix of rigor and reflexivity to every project. Danielle's especially interested in the emotions of research - [Clara Kliman-Silver](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/clara-kliman-silver/) - Clara Kliman-Silver is a UX strategist based in New York City. Currently, she works as a UX research manager on the Material Design team at Google and collaborates with local UX communities, including Ladies That UX. Her research focuses on the emergent role of artificial intelligence in UX design, metrics frameworks for measuring product development, - [Tiffany Liaw](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/tiffany-liaw/) - Tiffany Liaw is a Senior Product Designer at Harvard Medical School, where she leads the designs of large-scale biomedical research platforms, including the NIH-funded HuBMAP data portal, and advanced data visualization tools. Her work focuses on human-centered design for data-intensive and emerging technologies, translating complex technical systems into intuitive, usable experiences. With a multidisciplinary background - [Twisha Shah-Brandenburg](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/twisha-shah-brandenburg/) - Twisha Shah-Brandenburg is a design leader, educator, and writer who helps organizations unlock the hidden value of design. She has led teams across retail, fintech, and emerging technology, most recently at Target, where she transformed loyalty and item ecosystems for millions of guests. She teaches at the Institute of Design, where she bridges academic rigor - [David Schlossberg](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/david-schlossberg/) - David Schlossberg is a professor of user experience design at Austin Community College. He has over 20 years of experience leading product management, product design, and technology creation at many tech companies and startups, notably Marketo and Google. He's also taught and created product design courses for General Assembly, Thinkful, Product Institute, and 280 Group. - [Jonathan Mugmon](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jonathan-mugmon/) - I have led wayfinding design and strategies for the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic Games; Super Bowls LIV, LVI, and LIX; and major venues such as SoFi Stadium, the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, Climate Pledge Arena, Wrigley Field, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Google HQ. Across these projects, I’ve partnered with architects, - [Basil White](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/basil-white/) - [Ali Cuthbertson](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/ali-cuthbertson/) - Ali Cuthbertson is an author, researcher, and strategic UX leader focused on human-AI collaboration and emotional intelligence in design. As founder of Aliboo Publishing and former Senior Program Manager at IBM, following its acquisition of Red Hat, she bridged technology and humanity by driving alignment and collaboration across newly integrated teams and products through storytelling, - [Sarah Deak](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/sarah-deak/) - Sarah Deak is a UX Designer at Purdue IT, where she designs user-centric digital experiences. She specializes in connecting research, design, and development to improve academic and administrative tools for students, faculty, and staff. Sarah holds a B.S. in UX Design from Purdue University and is currently pursuing an MBA in Project Management from Purdue - [Max Wechsler-Azen](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/max-wechsler-azen/) - Max Wechsler-Azen is a UX researcher and strategist focused on the intersection of user experience and artificial intelligence. At Workiva, he leads research and strategy initiatives that shape AI-powered features across financial reporting, compliance, and sustainability workflows. His work spans concept testing, generative AI experience design, and building frameworks for trust and governance in AI-driven - [Jason Telner](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jason-telner/) - Dr. Jason Telner is currently a UX researcher at Qualcomm. He has over 15 years of experience working within the field of user research. Currently, he is leading UX research to improve the quality and ease of use of technical documentation. He also spent 11 years in IBM’s CIO design user research and data analytics team, - [Johanna Weitbrecht](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/johanna-weitbrecht/) - Coming from a background in UX Design and research gained through a Bachelor in Information Design, I found my calling in the Users experience of scientific methods. After, I did a research masters program, focusing on Future Studies and Scenarios. I looked at how you would go about measuring the Quality of Scenarios from a - [Jon Temple](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jon-temple/) - Jon G. Temple has 30 years of experience in UX research, human factors, and design. He received a BA from Vassar College and a MA and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati with post-docs in HCI and human factors. Jon has delivered over 63 conference presentations, 21 publications, and 7 patent filings and mentored over - [Molly Rempe](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/molly-rempe/) - With 10+ years in UX research and a master’s in Applied Anthropology, Molly Rempe has built and scaled research programs across multiple technology sectors. She specializes in transforming qualitative insights into measurable business impact and has developed repeatable frameworks that elevate research visibility, influence, and career growth. - [Stacey Oliver](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/stacey-oliver/) - Stacey Sarris Oliver, DSc is an information architect and user experience researcher, educator, and author with more than two decades of experience studying and designing complex information systems. She currently designs digital experiences in higher education and explores emerging technologies such as XR and AI through her startup, LangXR. Stacey teaches information architecture and UX - [Ramtin Ranjpour](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/ramtin-ranjpour/) - Ramtin Ranjpour is a Ph.D. student of communication and media studies at the University of Oregon. With a B.A. in computer engineering and an M.A. in communication studies, his interdisciplinary interests include UX research, strategic communication, artificial intelligence, and extended reality. His mixed-methods approach includes usability tests, interviews, surveys, focus groups, content analysis, ethnography, and - [Deborah Moyaki](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/deborah-moyaki/) - Deborah Moyaki is an engineering educator and researcher whose work bridges technology, learning, and user experience in higher education. With a background in Educational Technology, she is passionate about how emerging technologies, when thoughtfully integrated, can enhance teaching, learning, and the user experience in formal instructional environments. Currently a doctoral candidate in the Engineering Education - [Mrudu Lahari Malayanur](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/mrudu-lahari-malayanur/) - Product Manager & HCAI Researcher with 3+ years of experience. Mentored 50+ graduate students in transitioning into Product Management roles. Public speaker and keen observer of human–AI interactions. - [Nadia
Doutcheva](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/nadia-doutcheva/) - Nadia Doutcheva, PhD is a Senior UX researcher with close to 10 years of professional experience. She’s worked on research, design, interaction, and everything in between. She has conducted research in healthcare, automotive, software, consumer appliances, and more. Her PhD is from UW-Madison in Human Factors Engineering. Nadia loves technology, and wants technology to love - [Beth Loring](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/beth-loring/) - Beth is a Certified Human Factors Professional with over 35 years’ experience in product design and usability, having expertise in user requirements, ergonomics, user interface design, and usability testing. She is the founder and Principal Consultant at Loring Human Factors, a consultancy focused primarily on the healthcare industry. In addition to serving as CEO, Beth - [Mike Jin](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/mike-jin/) - Mike Jin is a UX Designer at Nutanix, where he works on crafting intuitive, scalable experiences for complex B2B products. He holds an M.S. in Computational Design and a Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction and Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University. His work focuses on bringing clarity to multi-layered enterprise ecosystems — blending accessibility, design research, - [Beth Martin](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/beth-martin/) - Beth A. Martin is a civil servant with over 21 years of practice in user experience, communications, digital transformation, and innovation - [Lucy Marino](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/lucy-marino/) - Lucy Marino is executive director of the marketing and creative practice at global talent solutions firm, Robert Half. Marino manages strategy and operations for the company’s marketing and creative talent solutions teams across U.S. locations. Since joining Robert Half in 1999, Marino has held a variety of leadership roles, advancing Robert Half’s marketing and creative - [Samyukta K](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/samyukta-k/) - Final-year M.Sc. Theoretical Computer Science student at PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore. I am a highly organized and prompt individual with a strong passion for continuous learning. Beyond my academic achievements, I have given a TED talk on the "Story of Ethical AI." I’m currently the Co-Head of Social Media and Design at the GirlUp - [Marty Gage](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/marty-gage/) - Marty Gage is a trusted advisor to senior executives seeking to drive growth through experience centered strategy. As Vice President of User Experience Research at Lextant, he has partnered with Fortune 500 leaders to translate customer desire into measurable business impact. Recognized for driving billions in market success, Marty aligns organizations around what people truly - [Jaitra Dixit](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jaitra-dixit/) - Jaitra Dixit is a UX Researcher with nearly five years of experience helping teams build meaningful, user-centered digital experiences. With a Master's in Human Factors, he specializes in mixed-methods research that translates ambiguity into clear actionable insights grounded in user needs and aligned with business goals. He is passionate about making research accessible, collaborative, and - [Rebecca Destello](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/rebecca-destello/) - Rebecca Destello is a Senior UX Research Manager at Meta where she leads teams who work on projects that improve the quality of experiences for Meta’s developer products. Since 2007, she’s led research for a wide variety of problem spaces, including healthcare, government, e-commerce, social media, tech, and startups. She is an Affiliate Faculty member - [Lou Cimaglia](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/lou-cimaglia/) - Lou Cimaglia was elected high school class president in 2005, and his career has really taken off from there. As Principal Content Strategist at Fidelity Investments, Lou is immersed in the daily work of creating better experiences for customers and believes that rigorous work doesn’t have to be boring. Lou has spoken at INBOUND, Seattle - [Shruthi Andru](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/shruthi-andru/) - Shruthi is a designer, strategist, architect, and a relentless optimist who views challenges as hidden opportunities. Based in NYC and Abu Dhabi, her journey began in architecture, transitioning into product design after earning a Master’s in Human Computer Interaction. Over the past three years, Shruthi has crafted enterprise products for marketing experiences at Adobe. Prior - [Lauren
Schaefer](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/lauren-schaefer/) - Lauren Schaefer is a cross-functional product design and research leader in edtech, focused on helping teams turn customer insight into better decisions. With 20 years in the UX industry, she works at the intersection of product design, research, and strategy — supporting software that empowers educators, students, and families around the world. Lauren has led - [Kathleen
O'Brien](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/kathleen-obrien/) - Kathleen is a product designer who creates experiences that balance business impact with human needs. In IBM's CIO office, she's integrating AI into employee tools and workflows to boost productivity and satisfaction. She thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution — partnering with stakeholders and development teams to ship solutions that actually work for - [Rajesh
Kalidindi](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/rajesh-kalidindi/) - Rajesh Kalidindi is a seasoned User Experience leader with more than two decades of experience shaping inclusive, intuitive, and high‑impact digital products. Guided by the belief that great design hides complexity, he has dedicated his career to creating experiences that work for everyone, regardless of ability, context, or background. Rajesh’s professional journey spans Fortune 100 - [Claudia Gutierrez](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/claudia-gutierrez/) - I am a UX strategist, educator, and AI systems designer working at the intersection of human-centered design, content strategy, and emerging technology. My work focuses on how agentic and context-aware AI can extend the capabilities of designers, researchers, and product teams transforming workflows without compromising creativity, ethics, or empathy. With over 2 decades of experience - [Kenny Wilson](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/kenny-wilson/) - Kenny Wilson is the Director of AI and Automation at Purdue University, where he leads enterprise initiatives that integrate emerging technologies to enhance user experience and efficiency. He has more than 15 years of experience in creative and technical leadership, strategic communication, and UX design, and holds a Master’s in Strategic Communication and an MBA - [Ashley Connor](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/ashley-connor/) - Ashley Connor is a Principal UX Researcher at Usability Sciences with over 13 years of experience leading research across diverse industries and methodologies. She partners closely with clients to develop tailored, impactful research strategies and lead the full spectrum of UX research from discovery to delivery, ensuring every project aligns with business goals and drives - [Jean Fox](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jean-fox/) - Jean Fox has a BS, MS, and PhD in Human Factors, and she has been a UX Researcher for 35+ years. She has conducted many usability tests on a variety of products, most recently large government systems. Usability testing is an important method because it can help identify real usability problems, and it showcases the - [Andrew Schall](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/andrew-schall/) - Andrew Schall has over 20 years of experience as a UX leader, researcher, and strategist. He has worked with renowned organizations such as Mayo Clinic, Citibank, Harley Davidson, The New York Times, National Institutes of Health, Office Depot, and Southwest Airlines. Andrew loves to share his knowledge and insights with the UX community. He is - [Jillian Berger](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/jillian-berger/) - Jillian is a UX Research leader with over a decade of experience building and scaling high-impact teams across civic tech, enterprise, and startups. Known for a "wizard-like" ability to balance rigor with speed, they specialize in creating research engines that drive product strategy without compromising on quality. Central to Jillian's approach is a leadership philosophy - [Niketa Jhaveri](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/niketa-jhaveri/) - Niketa Jhaveri is a UX Leader with over 22 years of experience shaping how people interact with technology. Currently leading research at Amazon, she works at the intersection of AI, UX, Tech, and Design, driving innovation across personalization, search, and emerging AI experiences. She is known for connecting strategy with execution and for inspiring audiences with practical - [Anna Janiszewska](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/anna-janiszewska/) - Anna is a UX Strategist and Researcher at Roche who turns complexity into clarity through the power of storytelling. She helps teams win buy-in, shape strategy, and create brand identities that stick — whether for products, processes, or big-picture transformation. With six years in healthcare, Anna blends design, research, and strategy with a deep background - [Lisa Eichorn](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/lisa-eichorn/) - Lisa Salcedo Eichorn is a Senior Director of User Experience Design and a veteran design leader who has spent her entire career shaping technology experiences. An alum of IBM and Magic Leap, Lisa brings over 30 years of expertise leading UX strategy, accessibility programs, and design organizations in the enterprise software space. Her work bridges - [Natalie Wright](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/natalie-wright/) - Natalie Wright is a seasoned UX Design and Accessibility professional with nearly two decades of experience shaping enterprise software experiences. Since 2007, she has specialized in designing complex, data-driven applications that balance usability, accessibility, and business outcomes. As a Senior UX Designer at Riskonnect, Natalie leads user experience initiatives across the company's risk and compliance - [Shane McCormack](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/shane-mccormack/) - Shane McCormack is a Senior UX / UI Designer at Riskonnect, Inc., with over 17 years of experience crafting immersive design solutions from concept to completion. He has worked with renowned global brands including Harley Davidson, Mercedes-Benz, Pioneer, and Nominet, among others. Driven by a lifelong passion for design, Shane believes every day offers a - [Sara Mastro](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/sara-mastro/) - Sara Mastro has been responsible for planning, conducting, and managing user–centered research projects and products for over 20 years. Her extensive background in design and research is the basis for a strong methodology that creates smart user experiences. Sara has worked with a variety of companies and organizations throughout her career including Discovery Channel and - [Janaina Pantoja](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/janaina-pantoja/) - Jana Pantoja is a UX leader and neuroscientist who has devoted her career to research. She spent over a decade leading academic investigation of the electrophysiology of neural networks and its modulation by reward-stimuli associations and learning. In 2015, she made the leap into UX, leading research across a wide variety of domains, including real - [Tommy Hemmer](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/tommy-hemmer/) - Tommy is a Senior Director of User Experience Research with 7+ years at Ipsos who is interviewing vulnerable populations about sensitive topics, as well as financial services and technologies. His expertise spans a wide range of qualitative methodologies, including diaries, in-depth interviews, co-creation sessions, card sorting, information taxonomy, workshops, and in-lab product testing. Tommy is - [Mark Scott](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/mark-scott/) - An avid sneakerhead with over 20 years of digital design experience, Mark Scott is a seasoned UX leader with a passion for customer centricity, research, and building diverse teams that drive business impact and customer value. As Applied Systems' Director of UX, Mark has engaged in long term strategic and tactical initiatives for the Insurtech leader, - [Trevor Calabro](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/trevor-calabro/) - Trevor Calabro is Vice President of User Research at Ascensus and a UX leader focused on making user-centered practice hold up in the real world. He is best known for turning scattered UX efforts into long-lasting systems that scale across complex enterprise environments and strengthen how UX shows up in product decisions. A frequent invited - [Denise Miqueli](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/denise-miqueli/) - Denise Miqueli is a design leader with 15+ years of experience shaping digital products for global audiences. As Director of Product Design at Zumba Fitness, she leads UX strategy and research across mobile, web, and connected platforms used by millions worldwide. Zumba's products power a global ecosystem of instructors, members, and on-demand experiences, supported by - [Bhuvana Narayanamurthy](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/bhuvana-narayanamurthy/) - Bhuvana Narayanamurthy holds a PhD in Technology and Social Behavior and brings about 15 years of experience in UX and digital transformation. Her work focuses on the intersection of human judgment, automation, and design governance in enterprise SaaS systems. After leading UX efforts for multiple federal and enterprise platforms, she now applies her expertise to - [Daphne Villarreal](https://uxpa2026.org/speakers/daphne-villarreal/) - As a passionate advocate for digital inclusion, Daphne Villarreal is an accomplished accessibility expert whose work is rooted in both academic rigor and extensive industry practice. Holding a Ph.D. and CPACC credentials, she possesses a foundational knowledge of accessibility principles and is dedicated to making the digital world more inclusive. Professionally, Daphne has 20 years ## Tickets - [Main conference only
($300 off for members)](https://uxpa2026.org/ticket/main-conference-only/) - [Gold package
($300 off for members)](https://uxpa2026.org/ticket/gold-package/) - [Bronze package
($300 off for members)](https://uxpa2026.org/ticket/bronze-package/) ## Session Locations - [Palace I, Emperors Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/palace-i/) - [Messina, Promenade Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/messina/) - [Livorno, Promenade Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/livorno/) - [Florentine II, Promenade Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/florentine-ii/) - [Florentine I, Promenade Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/florentine-i/) - [Florentine III, Promenade Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/florentine-iii/) - [Palace III, Emperors Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/palace-iii/) - [Augustus, Emperors Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/augustus/) - [Victoria Room, Casino Floor](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/victoria-room/) - [Exhibit Hall, Emperors Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-location/exhibit-hall/) ## Session Tracks - [Mid-Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/mid-level/) - [Tools & Techniques](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/tools-and-techniques/) - [Senior-Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/senior-level/) - [Entry-Level](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/entry-level/) - [UX Strategy](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/ux-strategy/) - [Emerging Technologies](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/emerging-technologies/) - [Career Development](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/career-development/) - [UX Leadership](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/ux-leadership/) - [Inclusive & Universal Design](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/universal/) - [Sponsored Session](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/sponsored-session/) - [Panel](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/panel/) - [Lightning Talk](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/lightning-talk/) - [Pre-Conference Course](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/pre-conference-course/) - [Talk](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/talk/) - [Networking](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/networking/) - [Posters](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/posters/) - [Keynote](https://uxpa2026.org/session-track/keynote/)